Parenting for Faith

Right from their very earliest days, we can help our children to meet and know God. On Wednesday afternoons in June, we will be running the Bitesize Babies and Toddlers Course, which will equip you with confidence and practical ideas to do this. The course is a mixture of short videos, a chance to reflect on your own and to chat with others.

The call will be open from 1.15pm and the content will be from 1.30 - 2.30pm. Don't worry if you can't make every week or have little people running around or are in the office on your lunchbreak, come just as you are!

When churches or groups sign up, they can invite as many parents/carers of under-fives as they like to join their group. The course is suitable for those new to faith or just exploring, so do invite families you know from baby and toddler groups or other community activities.  You can meet in person, online or a hybrid. For the discussion times, you will have your own breakout room. If you have lots of participants we can add extra breakout rooms, free of charge.

If you're not part of a church or group, sign up for an individual/couple ticket. We'll pop you into a group with others in the same boat for the discussion times. This will be the same each week so that you can get to know each other and feel safe to share and support each other. 

Click this LINK to find out more and book onto the course.

See below for some more exciting events coming up for your children and young people, and click the images and links to find out more!

St Anne’s Choristers invite you to join us them to practice and perform Captain Noah and his Floating Zoo on Monday 26th May.

Children between 7 and 14 are welcome to attend from 9:30am till 3pm at St Anne’s Church, Derby. There is a performance at 2pm to which parents, carers, family and friends are all welcome.

The event is free with a lunch included. Please book early via their Eventbrite page, or get in touch with the director, Elin Heron, if you have any questions or prefer to book over the phone.

Join Hulland Church for thier Nature Day on Saturday 7th June from 11am-3pm - see more on their website here or click the flyer below:

 The Kitchen Table Project is an initiative from Care for the Family 

Just 50% of children growing up in Christian homes keep their faith as adults.
Parents and churches – we can change that! Find out more and see their resources (many of which are free) through this link.

Messy Church

It’s church, but not as you know it.

Growing Faith in Churches – Youth Ministry Resources

The wording around the national aim to grow and nurture active young disciples is important. As we strive to develop youth ministry across the diocese, this is about more than numbers in a room, or ticking a box for those who have responded to an altar call, but rather we are about making space for faith to grow and life-long faith journeys to be begun.

As Strategic Lead for Youth Ministry, Rev. Aidan Watson is here to support youth workers, both paid and volunteer, across the diocese. Please get in touch by emailing aidan.watson@derby.anglican.org

Care for the Family's tour of A Mind of Their Own is coming to Derby - June 17th · 7:30pm - 10pm

Building your child’s emotional wellbeing

Young people are facing unprecedented levels of pressure, from school, from their phones and from their peers. All of which are having a detrimental effect on their mental health.

A Mind of Their Own will give parents, carers, and anyone working with young people, practical and preventative tools to understand these pressures and help your children build strong emotional resilience and healthy mental wellbeing.

 Click this LINK to book onto the event.

 Emotional and mental health resources

For those who have been affected by the recent TV series 'Adolescence', our colleagues at the Diocese of Leeds have collated some useful resources for young people, leaders, and parents to help form positive discussion around mental health and wellbeing.
Find them here.

Below are a series of links for starting, developing and growing youth ministry in your church.

Confirmation Resources

Our colleagues at the Bath and Wells and Bristol Diocese have produced some excellent downloadable confirmation resources. If you have a young person or a group of young people you are preparing for confirmation and would like to use this resource, then click here to have a look and download your own version.

Youthscape Podcast

A fantastic resource for any Christian working with young people, the youthscape podcast has several years-worth of episodes covering a range of areas so there will be plenty for your context to learn. Find on any major podcast platform or here https://www.youthscape.co.uk/podcast

Youthwork Resources

Various fantastic organisations exist to support churches in running activities for young people with varying levels of faith involvement. Some of our recommendations include:-

Youthscape – originally working Luton, YS now has a national focus and is leading the way in research and innovation for Christian youthwork - https://www.youthscape.co.uk/

Scripture Union – in addition to their decades of church based youth and children’s resources, they are focussing most of their work resourcing churches to reach the 95% of children and young people nationally who have no connection with church - https://content.scriptureunion.org.uk/resources-activities

The RSCM – for more traditional contexts church choirs can provide a way of engaging with young people, including developing them as young leaders. https://www.rscm.org.uk/learn-with-us/

Urban Saints Energize - Thousands of engaging and adaptable biblical sessions, training articles and support resources - https://www.urbansaints.org/what-we-do/online-resources

Living Out Love – a youth group resource

Our colleagues in Birmingham diocese have created a series of short films to help young people think through issues of sexuality, gender, relationships, and justice based on the six pastoral principles which are:

• Acknowledging Prejudice
• Speaking into silence
• Addressing ignorance
• Casting out fear
• Admitting hypocrisy
• Paying attention to power

They come in two versions a 30 min and 60 min versions, they can be used all together or as stand-alone sessions. To download your free copy click here.

Bishop’s Youth Council

The Bishop’s Youth Council exists to hear the voices of young people in the decision-making processes of the diocese. It is made up of 16-25 year olds across the diocese and is invited to feed recommendations into Bishop’s council and Diocesan Synod. The council is overseen by Ben Martin (Lay Pioneer and Bishop’s Council Member) and Rev. Aidan Watson (Strategic Youth Lead). As well as having their voices heard, members are invested in as young leaders in the church.

If you or a young person you know are interested in hearing more about youth council then email aidan.watson@derby.anglican.org

Local partners

Valley Cids - an independent Christian charity based in Derbyshire, committed to serving children, young people and families through out-reach work in schools and the wider community. https://www.valleycids.co.uk/

The Peak Centre – A Christian-run activity centre in the Peak district that gives preference to young people - https://www.peakcentre.org.uk/

Training

As a diocese we seek to facilitate training of youth leaders, both paid and volunteer. We are keen to invest in potential youth leaders. For training opportunities and events click here

Alternatively, members of the diocesan staff are ordained/licensed lay readers and can come preach/speak to churches/PCCs about the place of youth ministry in the church. If you would like to do a training day with your volunteer team(s) or to discuss options, then contact aidan.watson@derby.anglican.org

Networking with other churches

Across the diocese we are setting up or supporting regional networks of paid/volunteer youth workers. If this would interest you then email aidan.watson@derby.anglican.org

We also work with Missional Church Youth Network – an organisation seeking to enable local schools, churches and community projects to work together to reimagine church with young people. They facilitate a Learning Community in order that youth leaders and volunteers can come together for training, encouragement, prayer and support as they build for the future. https://www.mycn.org.uk/